Film reel



Oct. 12, 1954 K. w. THALHAMMER 2,691,491

FILM REEL Original Filed March '7, 1950 IN V EN TOR.

. r BY (g? Patented Oct. 12, 1954 FILM REEL Karl Wolfgang Thalhammer, Sunland, Calif.

Original application March 7, 1950, Serial No. 148,153, now Patent No. 2,563,198, dated August 1951, Serial No. 228,675

7, 1951. Divided and this application May 28,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a reel construction and more particularly to an improved arrangement of reel hub and side members for releasably attaching an end of a strip material, such as motion picture strip film, to a reel for winding thereon. This is a divisional application of my application Serial No. 148,153, filed March '7, 1950, Patent No. 2,563,198 granted August '7, 1951, relating to an improved reel construction.

Prior reel construction for strip film generally comprised two perforated circular discs, irremovably attached to a central axial hub which spaced the two discs and around which the strip film is wound. Attaching an end of a film to the central hub of prior reels is awkward and inconvenient because of necessity of introduction of an end of the film between the fixed discs and manipulation of the end of the film to attach it to the central hub in a restricted space where movement of fingers is extremely limited. A similar diifioulty is encountered when the end of the film is detached from the hub, the restricted space causing manipulation of fingers very awkward and difiicult in order to free the end of the film.

This invention contemplates an improved film attaching means wherein the disadvantages of prior proposed film attaching means are avoided and wherein an end of a strip film may be quickly and easily attached to the hub of a reel construction. While the improved arrangement of the reel for attaching film thereto is illustrated on a reel construction of the type shown in the aforesaid application Serial No. 148,153, it is understood that it may be employed upon other reel constructions having virtually flat, nonfianged, separable side members.

An object of the invention is to provide a reel construction with improved means for introducing and securing an end of a film to the reel.

Another object of this invention is to design a reel construction having an improved arrangement of cooperative reel side members and reel hub, whereby one side member is removably coupled to the hub to afford convenient access to a film end attaching means carried by the reel hub.

A further object of this invention is to provide a reel for strip film wherein means are provided for limiting the amount of film insertable into the film end holding means.

Another object of this invention is to provide a reel for strip film wherein the film attaching means is designed for lateral insertion of a film end into a reel hub and wherein the film end 2 is held by a spring member against the wall of the hub.

Generally speaking, the improved reel construction contemplates at least one side member and a hollow reel hub carrying therewithin novel coupling means whereby the side member may be easily removed to expose a circumferential edge of the hub and may be assembled with the 'slidable beneath the spring member and held thereby. Limiting means for longitudinally positioning the end of the film is formed in the reel hub wall in spaced aligned relation to each spring member.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent from the following description of the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a reel construction embodying this invention, the reel being disposed in film winding position, the section being taken in a transverse diametrical plane.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view of one side member and reel hub shown in Fig. 1, the view being taken from the plane indicated by the line IIII of Fig. 1.

view of a portion of'the circumferential edge of r the reel hub employed in Fig. 1 illustrating the improved film holding means.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged View of a looking means carried by a side member, the View being taken from a plane indicated by line IV-IV of Fig. 2.

The reel construction shown in Fig. 1 may comprise a fiat circular axially ported first side member H), which may be provided with enlarged spaced openings H for observation of progress of the film when being Wound or unwound. Centrally disposed on side member ID is a hollow cylindrical reel iace member or reel hub 12 secured to one face of side member [0 by any suitable means, such as spaced rivets 13. The reel hub I 2 extends laterally outwardly from side member it and comprises a cylindrical outer wall M having a width slightly greater than the width of a film to be wound upon the reel, said wall i4 serving to maintain a second side member 15 in proper spaced relationship. The

reel hub I2 may be provided with a concentric inner central boss l6 having an axially ported circular fiat face l1 lying in a plane spaced inwardly from the plane defined by the circumferential outer edge of the cylindrical wall l2.

The face I! of boss It carries resilient coupling means for holding side members 10 and I in assembled relationship. The coupling means may include a generally circular axially ported member I8 secured to face I! as by rivets Isa. A plurality of pairs of diametricallyopposed radially outwardly and circumferentially extending resilient tabs 19 are provided.on:the circumferential edge of member 3.. Each. tab I9 is integrally joined with member l8 at one end, the remaining portion of the tab being normally biased inwardly and out of the plane defined by the circular member [8 as indicated by dotted lines [81). Each tab I9 is provided with an enlarged port Illa adjacent the end joined to member 58 andwithan.arcuateslot lSb extending to the opposite inwardlyrbiased end portion of the tab.

The resilient tabs l9 cooperate with double headed buttons 20 carried by a circular axially ported fiat wall 2| of the second side member for providing a coupling means for releasably locking the side members 10 and 15 in assembled relationship, side member 15 being capable of reversible attachment thereto by the arrangement of the double headed button 20. Since the resilient tabs [9 are normally biased inwardly, rotation of side member I5, after cooperative engagement of the buttons 20. with tabs I9, will pull member l5 towardlside member Hi until the outer surface of wall 21 is firmly seated against the circumferential edge of wall 14 of the reel hub 12.

As best seen in Fig. 4, each button ineludes an inwardly tapering surface 200: on each head, said tapering surfaces terminating in a shouldered shank for spacing said tapering surfaces outwardly from the wall 2| of the second side member [5. The tapering surfaces facilitate the grasping of the edges of the slot [9b in the resilient tab I9.

When the side member I5 is uncoupled from the hub, the outwardly facing circumferential edge of wall M is exposed and convenient access is afiorded to the means for connecting and holding an end of a strip film to be wound on the roll as best seen in Fig. 3. The cylindrical wall 14 of the reel face member or reel hub [2 is provided with two spaced parallel slots 22 having open ends at the circumferential edge of wall M for facilitating lateral insertion of an end of a film into one of the slots when member I5 is detached. Between slots 22 is provided a clip 23 secured as by a rivet 24 to the intervening portion of wall M. The clip 23 is provided with oppositely extending resilient fingers 25; each finger being first curved upwardly to extend across a slot 22 in spaced relation thereto for facilitating insertion of a film end. Each finger then curves downwardly and terminates in an upwardly curved end 26 presenting a convex surface normally biased against the inner surface of wall Hi. A stop tab 21 is formed in wall It spaced from and in alignment with each finger 25 as by punching a rectangular portion of the metal inwardly.

When side member (5 is removed from assembled relationship with side member l0, an end of a strip film to be wound may be laterally inserted through the open end of a slot 22 andthen moved longitudinally beneath the resilient finger 25 until the end edge of the film abuts against the stop tab 21. The configuration of finger 25 facilitates and guides such longitudinal movement. The resilient finger 25 exerts sufficient pressure contact against the end of the film to hold the film during a winding operation. The clip and double slot arrangement affords attachment of an end of a film to the reel for winding in either clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

After the film end has been secured on the reel hub 12 the side member [5 may be attached to the reel hub and first side member In by 00- operatively engaging the double headed buttons 20 with the resilient tabs 19 which afford a simple, convenient coupling means.

The advantages of the improved reel construction are readily apparent. The looking buttons described cooperate with the resilient tabs in reverse positions of the side member l5 so that the side member may be quickly andeasily attached or removed during a film. attaching operation. Further, the coupling means, that is the inwardly biased resilient tabs 19, drawthe member I 5 into tight contact withtheucircumferential edge of cylindrical wall [4 and closes the open ended slots 22 of .the film attaching means. The end of the film is conveniently and easily attached to the reel when the side member [5 is removed without awkward and cumbersome manipulation of fingers in a restricted space. The end of the fiim is readily guided and adjusted into proper position by cooperation of resilient fingers 25 and stop tabs 21.

It is understood that all modifications and changes coming within the scope of the appended claims are embraced thereby.

I claim:

1. In a reel for strip film and the like, the combination of: a pair of spaced circular axially ported side members; a centrally disposed reel hub member connecting said side members and including a cylindrical wall, at least one of said side members being detachable from said reel member; and means for attaching an end of a strip film to said reel member including two spaced transverse slots in said cylindrical wall, each of said slots being provided with an open end facing the detachable side member for lateral insertion of a film end portion when-the detachable member is removed, a resilient clip each end of which is of ogee configuration secured to the inner surface of the cylindrical wall between said slots, each end of the clip extending upwardly above and across a slot and then downwardly for resilient pressure contact against the inner surface of the walland adapted to hold said film end portion therebetween, beyond such slot, and an inwardly extending stop tab carried by the wall beyond each end of the clip and in alignment therewith for limiting longitudinal movement of the film end portion.

2. In a reel for strip film and the like, the combination of: a side member; a centrally disposed hollow cylindrical reel face member carried by the side member and extending to one side thereof; a slot in said cylindrical member, said slot having an open end facing away from said side member; a resilient clip of ogee configuration carried by and within the cylindrical member, said clip having an end extending across the slot for contact with the surface of the cylindrical member beyond the slot whereby a film end portion may be positioned in said slot by passage through said open end and then longitudinally moved between the end of the clip and the surface of the cylindrical member.

3. In a reel construction for strip material comprising a pair of side members held in spaced relation by a cylindrical hollow reel hub member, at least one of said side members being separable from said reel member, the combination of: means for attaching an end of a strip of material to the reel member including a slot in said reel member provided with an open end when the one side member is separated from the reel member for lateral insertion of a film end portion, and resilient means of ogee configuration secured to the inner surface of the reel member and extending across the slot for guiding the end of a strip of material against the inner surface of the reel member, said resilient means being in resilient contact with the inner surface of the reel member for holding said end at an area spaced from said slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 579,461 Yeakel Mar. 23, 1897 913,328 Uebelmesser Feb. 23, 1909 1,229,697 Allen June 12, 1917 1,307,554 Kohn "a June 24, 1919 1,353,004 Wilhelm Sept. 14, 1920 1,469,818 Robertson Oct. 9, 1923 1,479,454 Carr Jan. 1, 1924 2,243,670 Golyer May 27, 1941 2,476,928 Thomas July 19, 1949 2,481,665 Henne Sept. 13, 1949 2,546,146 Popoli Mar. 27, 1951 

